Book Review: Coming Back Home by Anuradha Prasad

Book: Coming Back Home
Author: Anuradha Prasad
Genre: Fiction
No. of Pages: ~300

Coming Back Home, is a typical story of the struggles of Actors trying to making it big in the movie industry. And then it is much more than just that!

Anuradha Prasad's 2nd book (I have not read her first) is primarily around the lives of two very contrasting characters - one who will not compromise on her self-esteem and another who is willing to go to any lengths to make it big. In their own way, both of them are strong, independent characters that are important to the narrative. The story revolves around how their lives change when they intersect and then when they go their own ways.

Book Review: A Hundred Little Flames by Preeti Shenoy

Book: A Hundred Little Flames
Author: Preeti Shenoy
Genre: Fiction
Price: Rs. 150

Synopsis:
Ayan, 26 year old Mechanical Engineer, is at his wit's end when he loses his job overnight and has to face the wrath of his condescending father. He has been asked to pack his bags and shift to his paternal home in a village in Kerala to look after his ailing Grandfather. Gopal Shankar, in his eighties and suffering from a fractured leg, is very much pleased to have his grandson for company. 

Much to his surprise, Ayan finds the quaint yet under-developed village; Poongavanam, interesting and he bonds with his grandfather effortlessly. However, Ayan's Dad has some other plans in mind when he gives them an unannounced visit. Long lost secrets and desires are revealed when Ayan reads his Grandfather's personal diary entries and goes on a mission to reunite something that was meant to be together. 

FASTag - What? Why? Where? and How?

You are probably hearing a lot about FASTag recently! You will probably be hearing more in the coming days!

My FASTag from Paytm

So, here is everything you wanted to know about FASTag!

What?
FASTag is an Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system operated by NHAI. It is a small rectangular RFID based device that you will have to purchase and stick on the front windshield of your vehicle.

It auto-deducts the toll amount from your account when you pass through a toll rather than your having to stop and pay for it by cash, card or e-wallets.

Book Review: Immortal India by Amish

Book: Immortal India
Author: Amish 
Genre: Non-Fiction
No. of Pages: ~200 

The first non-fiction from the man who brought us the mythological genius that is the Shiva Trilogy - Immortal India, is a collection of his newspaper articles, talks, and debates. 

Divided into four sections - Religion and Mythology, Social Issues, History and Musings, this collection is a joy to read for anyone interested in Hindu Mythology and Indian History.

#NanoDiaries - Bengaluru - Gandikota - Belum - Bengaluru

Trip from Bengaluru to Gandikota and Belum

This one was long pending. Pending since one of our friends shared an article about Belum Caves on FB and it was love at first sight. 

Now, some very close friends were coming down from Kerala for a visit and they too agreed that instead of the usual pub-hopping, we had to do something different this time!

And that's how, we visited two of the most beautiful places that we have ever been to.

Of Manga, Comics, and Graphic Novels!

I have always been into comics. 

Who hasn't! 

Tinkle Digest and Amar Chitra Katha were my go to books on those long train journeys to and from Madras and Trivandrum during Summer Holidays. And during those vacations, my little cousin would read me stories from the amazing Balarama magazine.

And then, teenage happened, and I spent more time with Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica. But still, comics were a major part of my daily life.

And then, it all stopped. 

It was not until April 2011, that I was reintroduced to comics (now in the form of Graphic Novels) through Hush! That was a completely new experience. But, all that excitement died down soon enough too.

We are a generation spoiled by too much of TV Shows! Don't get me wrong - they are awesome! But they take up too much of our time! One such show I was watching was The Walking Dead. I was hooked to it. And just so that I could find out what happened next on the show before it aired, I picked up Volume 1 of the comics. I blame Robert Kirkman for everything that happened after...

Book Review: The Rise of Sivagami by Anand Neelakantan

Book: The Rise of Sivagami (Baahubali: Before the Beginning #1)
Author: Anand Neelakantan 
Genre: Fantasy Mythology
No. of Pages: ~500 

Introduction: Chances are that if you are living in 2017 (even if you have been living under a rock!) that you have heard of S. S. Rajamouli's Baahubali. The movie made more than a ton of money and has now grown into a huge franchise with 2 Movies, 3 Novels, Graphic Novel, Animated Series, Mobile Games, and Merchandise. You've got to take a look at its website to get an idea on how big it has become.

I did enjoy both the movies (the Conclusion more than the Beginning) and the Graphic Novel - So I jumped at the opportunity when Westland Publishers got in touch with me. And, am I glad I did!

Book Review: White Collar Blackmail by Peter Ralph

Book: White Collar Blackmail
Author: Peter Ralph
Genre: Thriller
No. of Pages: ~300

Introduction:
Peter Ralph is a Chartered Accountant and a Share Trader and has specialised in Corporate Recoveries and Business Litigation. And therefore, much like how John Grisham's stories are about the Law and Ravi Subramaniam's are about Banking, Peter's are mostly around Business Law.

And they are also more than just that! There are a mixed bag of Fraud, Violence, Corruption, Blackmail, and even the Mafia - of the right doses to keep the story fast-paced and gripping.

Have You Read - A Message to Garcia?

Have you read A Message to Garcia?

If not, it is not surprising. Simple because it is irrelevant in this time and age. 

If you would like to read it now, you can read pages 15 to 23 of this document. 

What prompted me to write about this short essay by Elbert Hubbard from 1899 is that, surprisingly, a lot of corporate leaders have been picking this up recently. 

But, that is not a good sign. 

Why? Take a look at some of the reviews for this essay on Goodreads (click on the pictures to enlarge them):

Book Review: Agniputr by Vadhan

Book: Agniputr
Author: Vadhan 
Genre: Fantasy Fiction
No. of Pages: ~350 

Introduction:
I have received numerous books so far - sent by Authors, Publishers, Book Review programs etc. But, Agniputr, is by far the best among them (not many of my reviews start this way!). I have always been a sucker for fantasy and that is probably why it was very interesting. Thanks to the publisher for sending an author signed copy this time - gave it a very personal touch - glad you recognise that there is a human being behind the blog!

It is difficult to summarise everything that happens in the book, to be honest. The blurb for the book itself is pretty confusing - check it out on GoodReads. It is that busy a book. But, when reading the book itself, it all unravels at a pretty good pace and makes complete sense (as much as a fantasy can) leading to a pretty cool finish.

Book Review - Divided Minds - Sanjay Koppikar

Book: Divided Minds - War of the Worlds Within 
Author: Sanjay Koppikar
Price: Rs.245 on Amazon 
Genre: Science Fiction 
No. of Pages: ~280

Introduction:
I have always felt that there is a serious dearth for good Sci-Fi by Indian authors. But, I was surprised to see that Sanjay's second book is one. His first book - Bangalored, was more like a White Paper blended into a story so that it could barely fall under the genre called Fiction. But, the author has come a long way since. And so it is safe to say that Divided Minds - War of the Worlds Within (with its rather painfully long title) is actually a quick fun read. 

An Open Letter to KSSTM

Dear Kerala State Science and Technology Museum,

We need to talk!

This Christmas vacation I was unfortunate enough to think that it was a good idea to introduce my little cousins to the idea of a Science Museum. Oh! What a big mistake it was to take them to the “Careless-State Science and Technology Museum” – Yes, given your current state, I took the liberty to rechristen you!

Book Review: Kalyug by R. Sreeram

Book: Kalyug
Author: R. Sreeram 
Genre: Socio-Political Thriller
No. of Pages: ~380

Introduction:
Author | Ex-entrepreneur | Consultant | Trainer - That's how the author describes himself on his website. He seems to be quite active on his website although his GoodReads profile seem to have been ignored. 

Kalyug is R. Sreeram's debut work. But that should not, in any way, relate to the quality of his work. And it very well, does not! 

Kalyug is a Socio-Political Thriller that imagines a coup in one of the world's largest Democracy - India! It tries to explain all the planning that had to go into pulling off something of this scale and also all the pain and frustration that led to this happening. All explained through the eyes of the protagonist, an author, who had "predicted" such a situation much before it happened!

God is a Gamer - Ravi Subramanian - A Book Review

Book: God is a Gamer
Author: Ravi Subramanian 
Price: Rs.205 @31% Discount at Flipkart
Genre: Thriller
No. of Pages: ~310 

Introduction:
Thanks to Awesome-BlogAdda's-Awesome-Book-Review-Program, this is the second time I am reading Ravi Subramanian. Earlier I had reviewed The Bankster by the same author.

Compared to The Bankster, God is a Gamer is much more interesting. It is evident that a lot more preparation and research has gone into the book and therefore, it is simply better.

Synopsis:
The below video is a 2 minute trailer on the book. And it is pretty good. I actually saw this video after I read the book and therefore it made complete sense to me. 

FIFA World Cup 2014 Schedule in India Standard Time (IST)

So, the FIFA World Cup 2014 is just around the corner now and the official time table and kick-off timings are something that every Indian soccer fan is looking for.

The official logo has already been widely criticized as a "facepalm" and it truly does look hilarious when you look at it that way.

As expected, despite the 1.2 billion people we have in our country, we have still not found a team good enough to qualify for this world cup too. Sad!

But that is not going to stop the soccer lovers among us from watching the matches of our favorite teams from whistle to whistle.

But sadly, all matches will take place at ungodly hours for us! Get ready to lose a lot of sleep...

55 Fiction - “I’m Alive!"

The first thing that ran through his mind, even before he regained complete consciousness was, “I can’t believe that I survived my 3rd heart attack!”

The second thought which he almost mumbled out was, “Where am I?”

And then he screamed...

His last thought was, “I should have been cremated and not buried!”

Name 'em in the Right Order!

This is a simple one, but when clubbed with not more than 15 seconds to answer, it can be very tricky.

The idea is to show the four pictures on the screen along with four options to choose from. Displaying the four options makes it both easier and messier for the teams trying to guess the answer.

Enough talk! Here we go, I have got 12 such questions for you:

[All the answers are at the end. No fun in putting them right next to the questions, right? :P]

1.

Diamonds Suck

Dear Men,

Have you been watching the T.V. lately? Nope, not the sports and movie channels. You have got to try watching the daily soaps or regional movies? Have YOU been paying attention?

Did you notice that the number of TV commercials (and Print too!) that say that "DIAMONDS ARE THE THAANG" have gone up by atleast 80% (of course, that is a number I just made-up now). Did you notice that every major gold reseller has now a totally different advertisement for their Diamonds collection too? And that the frequency of these commercials are increasing too?

How do you NOT see a pattern here?

Book Review - Tantra - Adi

Book: Tantra 
Author: Adi 
Price: Rs.144 @26% Discount at Flipkart 
Genre: Thriller 
No. of Pages: ~350 

Introduction: 

Let me be honest here – I was prejudiced when I picked this up for review. We don’t need another Stephenie Meyer, and that too an Indian one. But, turned out I was wrong – and I blame the poorly designed book cover and the short synopsis behind the book for it. They are very misleading. Though I should have guessed from the name of the book itself, the book has very little resemblance to SM's Twilight. 

Movie Review – Guru – For the Blindness in Us

Name of the Movie – Guru 
Language – Malayalam 
Genre – Fantasy 
Year of Release – 1997 

The Malayalam movie industry is not a big one. It does not churn out blockbusters, and it certainly does not have many big-budget movies. Yet, this film industry is one known for a lot of low-budget experiments and innovative story-telling. Guru is one such movie that dared to tread the world of fantasy in 1997, when the rest of India was busy making commercial and art movies. Guru falls in neither and thereby in both categories.